The visiting Illinois State Redbirds hope to send their backers to the pay window on Friday as they look to cover the spread at Scottrade Center against the Northern Iowa Panthers.

This game is part of the Missouri Valley Tournament which will decide the conference champion and help decide March Madness seedings. The game is being played at Scottrade Center, which makes it technically a neutral site match.

Supporters of the Redbirds have watched them go 17-14 and 13-15 ATS on the year, while the Panthers are at 18-13 and 15-13-2 ATS. In totals betting, the Panthers are 14-13, while the Redbirds have a 12-14 mark.



View Illinois State vs Northern Iowa Odds and Stats.

Power Rankings / Prediction:
The Panthers sit at No. 116 in the current college hoops power poll here at Odds Shark, while the Redbirds sit at No. 106 on the same chart. The computers running our scores simulations have concluded that the Redbirds will win this game 74-73.



How They Match Up:
Offensively, the game matches up Northern Iowa's No. 212 nationally ranked offense (66.1 points per game) against a Redbirds defense that sits as the No. 233 at 68.8 PPG. The Panthers have been averaging 44.2% from the field, less than the Redbirds have managed so far this season (46% on average).

Defensively, Illinois State features the nation's No. 292-rated defense on the road, allowing 74.8 points per game. Northern Iowa, meanwhile, comes in at No. 186 nationally in scoring at home.

Illinois State was an 80-72 loser in their most recent outing on the road against Northern Iowa. They failed to cover the 3.5-point spread as underdogs. Tyler Brown scored 28 points for Illinois State on Saturday, but the Panthers managed an 80-72 victory over the Redbirds at McLeod Center.

In their last action, Northern Iowa was an 80-72 Sportsbook at home against Illinois State. They covered the 3.5-point spread as favorites. Northern Iowa earned an 80-72 victory over Illinois State on Saturday, getting 19 points from Anthony James at McLeod Center.


Illinois State Redbirds Trends:
When playing on Friday are 5-5
After playing Northern Iowa are 3-7
After a loss are 3-7

Northern Iowa Panthers Trends:
When playing on Friday are 4-6
After playing Illinois State are 5-5
After a win are 6-4

A few Redbirds at Panthers trends to consider:
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Northern Iowa's last 5 games
Northern Iowa is 10-2 SU in its last 12 games when playing Illinois State
Northern Iowa is 7-2 SU in its last 9 games
The total has gone UNDER in 7 of Northern Iowa's last 10 games when playing Illinois State